Parachute and safety harness apparatus



Feb. 27, 1940. sM T 2,192,109

PARACHUTE AND SAFETY HARNESS APPARATUS Filed May 22, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

INVENTOR." Fm [=1v Emmfl'h ATTORNEYS.

PARACHUTE AND SAFETY HARNESS APPARATUS Filed May 22'. 1939 .4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

F1133 d 'EImiH-L I ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 27, 1940. F. SMITH 2,192,109

PARACHUTE AND SAFETY HARNESS APPARATUS I Filed May 22. 19:9 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.

F'lcn d Emf'l'h ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 27, 1940. F. SMITH 2,192,109

PARACHUTE AND S AFETY HARNESS APPARATUS Filed Kay 22, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Fla :1 5 mn-h wig lwb ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED. STATES" PATENT OFFICE raaaonnm AND sar'a'rr HARNESS armanrus Application May 22, 1939, sci-m No. 275,103

This invention relates to a combination parachute and safety harness.

In the accompanying drawingaformlng a part of this specification, and wherein similar referg ence characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a perspective view showing the iniproved parachute chair with a safety harness in loosened condition so as to permit the aviator to lean forward for manipulation of controls.

Figure 2 is a view showing the various details of the safety harness, detached from the chair.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 of the 16 drawings.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the improved parachute harness which may be associated with the chair.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the aviator in the chair with the safety harness released from the wearer.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generally designate the improved chair with which parachute safety harness B may be associated. The chair is shaped to accommodate a parachute pack C, of the back variety, in the present instance,

1 although a seat pack can be used; the parachute pack C having associated therewith an improved parachute harness D.

The chair may be of anyapproved type. His

,85 preferably made of some light material, such as aluminum, and includes a socketed seat and a socketed back connected by side arms.

Referring to the improved safety harness B, my co-pending application Serial No. 275,102, 40 filed May 22, 1939, better describes the same. It consists of a shoulder strap construction 60 and a lap strap construction 6|. The shoulder construction and the lap strap construction may be independently used although they are shown related in the present invention, and details of the spring operated detent may be associated with either or both of these strap constructions.

The lap strap construction 6| consists of side straps 10 .and H, each of which is doubled upon 59 itself at its chair attached end, and through which doubled portion a coupling ring 12 is threaded, adapted to be attached to a pivoted coupling part 14 on a side of the chair. The pivoted coupling parts 14 of course move with bending of the wearer, and they are attached at the lower corners of the chair upon suitable brackets 16. Each of the straps Ill and II of the doubled section which faces the lap of the wearer and at its outer end is provided with a broad piece of webbing 80, which acts as a pro- 5 tection to the wearer. This webbing 80 is securely stitched at 8| to this end of the strap. The thickness of the part of the strap to which the webbing 80 is attached may be doubled and provided with a loop at its free end to which a cou- 10 pling part 83 of the lap strap is attached. The coupling part 83 is the male part and is mounted upon the strap 10. It is provided with a transversely apertured stud adapted to receive the opening in the other coupling part 83 of the 15 strap II, and the openings of the coupling parts of the shoulder straps to be subsequently described. The strap portion on the webbing 80 opposite the coupling part 83 is provided with two strap clamping rings 86 to which the free end 81 of the strap is threaded whereby the length of the lap strap between the pad and the ring l2 may be adjusted to suit the stature of the wearer. Both of the lap straps are of substantially the same construction. a

The shoulder strap construction is of a single length of material, and includes the shed]- der straps 90 and 9| adapted to extend upwardly from the lap of the wearer and over the shoulders -of the wearer and then they converge downwardly at the back of the chair, as shown at 9| and 92 and at their meeting point are provided with a D or other type ring 93 loosely threaded on'the shoulder strap 'material. Only one of the shoulder straps, such as the shoulder strap 35 shown in Figures 2 and 3, is adjustable; one end being doubled at 94 upon itself and having an adjusting buckle 95. The straps 9| and 92 are maintained against displacement by means of a lateral loop 98 secured on the strap portion 92 40 and through which the strap portion 9|, is threaded, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Suitable slip loops 99 are provided on each of the shoulder strap front portions 90 and 9| having female fastener snaps I 00; the male portions I02 being secured on similar slip loops I03 placed on the riser straps of the harness D, as shown in Figure 4. The snap parts I00 andl02 cooperate in maintaining the shoulder straps and riser webs in relative position. They are, as shown in the drawings, of the lift the dot" variety of fastener and automatically release from each other without the necessity of fumbling with them as an incident of pullwvhen the u wearer arises from the chair after the safety harness has been released.

Referring again to the shoulder straps 90 and 9|, the same at their free ends are provided with fastener couplings I60, similar to the coupling 83 above described and transversely apertured for fitting over the stud of the coupling part 83 on the lap strap I0. A suitable spring controlled detent pin I10 attached on a string secured to the leg strap I0 is adapted to be slipped in the transverse aperture in the fastener 83, in order to hold all of the fasteners 83 and I together. A quick pull on the pin I10 will release all the fastener parts so that the wearer may become Instantly dislodged from the safety harness .3.

Referring to the harness D as shown in the drawings, and the associated pack construction, it will be understood that the harness will be constructed for either a seat or back pack, or a detachable pack, if desired. In the present case a back pack C is used and this consists of a container, housing a parachute canopy in the usual manner, and into which container the ends I80 of suspension straps of the harness extend for connectionwith the shroud lines of the canopy.

The harness D includes a U-shaped supporting sling I8I having a rather unique seat construction which gives a better and broader support to the wearer during a parachute descent. Each of the riser webs I82 and I83 is formed of four thicknesses or plies of webbing, and of course.

they terminate in the suspension straps I80 shown in Figure 11 of the drawings. To form the seat construction the two inner plies I83 of the riser web I83 are diagonally extended at an acute angle freely across the two outer plies I82 of the riser web I82, as shown in Figure 4. The two outer plies of the riser web I83 are bent upon themselves at the seat structure, in an acute angled relation, and stitched as at I88 to the two inner plies; the two outer plies thus extending at an acute angle to the line of the inner ply extension I83, to form a leg strap I89. Similarly the two inner plies of the riser web I82 are doubled upon themselves and stitched at I90 to the two outer plies and extended at an acute angle to the line of the seat plies I82, to form the leg strap I93. The two outer plies I83 are then looped at their outer ends and secured by stitching I94 to the leg strap I93 forwardly of the extended end of the seat portion I82, and similarly the two plies I82 of the seat structure are looped at their free ends and stitched at I98 to the leg strap I89 where it branches off from the riser web I83, as is shown in Figure 4. This construction provides a deeper andmore comfortable basket seat for the wearer, and permits of greater flexibility of movement. The plies of the leg straps I89 and I93 are of course doubled upon themselves and provided with length adjusting buckles I91. At their free ends they are provided with coupling portions 200 adapted to act in a complementary relation with the coupling portions 20I of diagonally extending back straps. T

The riser webs I82 and I83 at their upper ends are threaded through adjustable shoulder buckles 205 and 206 respectively. The ends of diagonal shoulder straps 201 and 208 are also threaded through these buckles and secured by stitching to the riser webs below the respective buckles. These shoulder straps are adapted to extend over the shoulders of the wearer and diagonally across the back to the opposite sides of the harness.

Theplies of the riser web I83 are parted, above the seat structure of the harness, to provide a loop 2! through which the strap 20! is loosely threaded. The strap 201 is then doubled upon itself and threaded back through another loop 2 and extended horizontally rearward to provide a cross back strap 2I5. The diagonal strap 208 is similarly associated with the other riser web I82, and the meeting ends of the straps 201 and 208, where they provide the horizontal crossing back strap, are adjustably secured together by suitable buckle means 220 as shown in Figure 4. The forwardly extending looped endsof the straps 201 and 208 where they extend through the slip loops in the riser webs are provided with the complementary buckles 20I above described.

Breast strap means is provided for the harness, consisting of vertically adjustable breast strap portions 240 and 2M, slidably mounted upon the upper portions of the riser webs I82 and I83 respectively, and having complementary coupling parts 20I and 200 associated therewith.

The couplings for connecting the various strap portions of the harness are made up of the complementary coupling parts 200 and 20I, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. They admit of a quick and efficient attachment of the various straps of the harness and insure that they do not become detached from each other, except manually.

The parachute pack hasa suitable rip cord, whose handle may be disposed in a pocket 400 conveniently located on one of the breast straps 24l.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that in order to hold the relation of the shoulder straps of the safety harness with respect to the riser webs of the parachute harness the female snaps I00 on the safety harness shoulder straps may be snapped to the male portions I02 which are adjustable on the riser webs of the parachute harness.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with parachute and safety harness, the combination of a parachute harness having front riser straps to extend upwardly at the front and over the shoulders of a wearer,

the safety harness including front strap portions to extend upwardly at the front and over the shoulders of the wearer, slip loops on each of the front straps of the parachute harness and safety harness below the shoulders of the harnesses, having complementary snap fastening means to releasably secure them together...

2. In a combined parachute and safety harness device, a chair, a safety harness secured to the chair including shoulder straps adapted to extend from the chair downwardly over the, shoulders and to the front of a wearer, means to releasably fasten the shoulder straps upon the wearer, said shoulder straps upon operation of said releasable fastening, means adapted to remain with the chair and be completely free of the wearer when the latter arises from the chair, a parachute harness including body straps such as riser webs, and releasable fastening means to releasably secure the riser webs of the parachute harness to the shoulder straps of the safety harness, said releasable fastening means last mentioned being automatically operable when the wearer arises from the chair after the safetyto the chair including straps adapted to remain with the chair when the safety harness is released from a wearer, means to releasably secure the safety harness about a wearer when the latter is seated in the chair, a parachute harness for the wearer, and lift the dot fastening means securing the parachute harness to the safety straps and adapted to open as an incident of pull of the parachute harness away from the safety harness when the straps of the latter are released and. the wearer arises from the chair.

FLOYD SMITH. 

